


You Should Listen

by thatmavin



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, i don't know how to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-06
Updated: 2014-12-06
Packaged: 2018-02-28 09:41:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2727632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatmavin/pseuds/thatmavin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Michael!” Gavin bounces on his heels. “You like me!”</p><p>“I didn’t say that.” Michael says this, only to try and relieve himself of his embarrassment. </p><p>“But you do!” Gavin is still grinning. “Say it, say it!”</p><p>“You’re a child.” </p><p>~*~</p><p>Gavin's plans to ask Michael out in front of the entire AH office, they don't go as planned. But, he's still overjoyed to find out Michael's feelings are the same as his own. However, Gavin also finds out that something is wrong with Michael. Something is haunting him from long ago, and Gavin really wants to find out what. </p><p>AKA: (long horrible summary)</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Should Listen

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AJPets](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJPets/gifts).



> Hello, hello!
> 
> I came up with this at like 2AM, I was supposed to be working on another story with my friend on Google Docs, but things got silly, and then serious and...wow. This story took so many emotional turns. 
> 
> I am gifting this work to Dove (Doggirl2626), because even though she asked me to get onto Google Docs to work on our original idea, I wrote this instead and she didn't stop me. She howver live action beta'd this story and it was so cool!  
> She also did some top-notch twerk-patrolling (Dove knows what I mean). <3
> 
> Ok, that's all. Go read, babies!
> 
>  
> 
> And as Always,  
> Thanks for Reading!  
> ~ThatMavin
> 
> PS, WOW, I messed up the summary. How...why...-sighs and falls over- sorry everyone, I hate me too xD  
> Alright, bye :)

“Hey, Michael.” Gavin smirks, seeing Michael flinch when the Brit interrupts his editing job, once again.

“Don’t even.” Michael warns. 

“But, Michael...it’s important.”

“Shut your face.”

“Michael…” 

“NO!” Michael raises his voice, causing the others in the AH office to turn and take notice to their bickering. 

“You should listen to em, dude.” Ray snickers. “Maybe he’s trying to ask you out.”

“Shut the hell up, Ray.” Michael shakes his head. “It’s something fucking dumb, and I wanna finish this edit. Trust me, it’s  _nothing_ important.”

Gavin seems hurt by the rude comment, Michael had no clue what he could have wanted. The Brit lays his head on his desk and groans. 

“You fucking broke him, shame on you, Michael.” Geoff laughs at the  _thunk_  of Gavin’s head hitting the wood of his desk. 

“Fuck all of you, I’m  _never_  going to get this shit done.” Michael puts his headphones on to shut out the noise. 

Everyone in the office looks from Michael to Gavin, all of them feeling bad for Gavin. But, they do all know about Gavin’s infamous knack of bullshittery. So, they all leave it alone, letting it just be a spat just between the two of them. 

~*~

When lunch time came around, and everyone left but Michael and Ryan, the older of the two  _had_  to ask Michael a question. 

“Soooo,” Ryan mused, pivoting slightly in his chair. 

“No, to whatever it is.” Michael takes a sip of his Redbull, as if that really enhances his ‘no’.

“You are aware that Gavin totally was trying to ask you out? Ray wasn’t just messing with you.” Ryan lets a smirk rest on his lips. Michael freezes a bit, shoulders risen slightly near his ears, like he’d flinched away from Ryan’s words.

“What?” Michael turns to look at him, brow risen. “Shut up, Ryan. I’m not in the mood.”

“I’m not joking.” Ryan shrugs. “Just letting you know.”

“How the hell do  _you_  know?” Michael rolls his eyes. “Like Gavin just informed the whole fucking office that he wanted to ask me out, and I somehow didn’t notice that he liked me or something?”

Ryan just sits with a smile on his face, he neither nods nor shakes his head. Michael’s brow furrowed. 

“So…?” Michael’s brow slightly un-furrows. 

“So…” Ryan raises his brow, waiting for the gears to rotate in Michael’s head. “C’mon, smarty-pants.”

Michael doesn’t do anything for a moment, but then...he bites his bottom lip. Ryan only watches him, waiting to see some signs of brain activity. 

“Where is Gavin now?” Michael asks. 

“Eating lunch, with Barb I think.”

“Like,  _out_  somewhere, or in the office?”

“In the-” Ryan doesn’t get a chance to finish as Michael rises quickly from his chair and bolts from the AH office. The older male smiles as Michael leaves. “Good job, Michael.”

~*~

Michael quickly heads through the halls quickly, making his way to Barbara’s office. The Brit’s loud laughter is audible even through the closed door. Michael suddenly realizes though, that he has  _no clue_  what he’s going to say, or do. 

How does he know that Ryan isn’t just messing with him anyway? And why the hell would Gavin tell the other AH members that he was going to ask out Michael? 

“No,” Gavin’s voice says from inside Barb’s office. “I really don’t think that’s true.”

“It  _has_  to be true, why else would he purposefully try to spoil your plan?” Barbara asks. 

“I don’t think Ray was trying to ruin things…” Gavin frowns. “I think he was just trying to scare Michael into listening to what I had to say.  _Of course_ , he bloody didn’t though.”

“Don’t be discouraged.” Barbara tries to stay positive. “Michael...is kind of…”

“A bully.” Gavin folds his arms. 

“No, he...doesn’t  _feel_  as easily as other people do.” Barbara tries to say it in a way that Gavin would understand. “He takes a little while to understand things.”

“It’s been  _two years_.” Gavin throws his hands up. “If he doesn’t know I like him by now then-”

“Have you been trying to show him that you like him for two years?” Barbara asks. “I doubt it.”

“Well...no.” Gavin admits. “The first year...I was in denial.” 

“Exactly.”

“The second year,  _this year_ , I’ve been trying to make it more obvious.” Gavin sighs. “Not working though.”

Michael is frozen in the hallway. ‘ _Two years?_ ’ He thinks. ‘ _Two whole fucking years? What was I even doing for two years?’_

“How have you been trying to show him?” Barbara inquires.

“Um...ruining his progress in Minecraft?” Gavin’s response sounds more like a question than an answer. Barbara looks at him flatly. 

“Come on! Gavin, that’s just stupid shit you do. That’s not showing you like someone.” Barbara sighs. 

“I’ve also been…” Gavin tries to think of something more valid. “Um…”

“You’ve been being horribly unclear, sounds like.” Barbara sits back in her seat. “So, after a year of not getting through to him...you’re just going to randomly ask him out?”

“It...sounds like a bad plan then?” Gavin pouts. “Maybe I shouldn’t…”

“It’s up to you, but...I think it’s going to take him by surprise for sure.” Barbara stands up. “I’m gonna go put this in the fridge.” 

Michael can’t decide rather to run away like he hadn’t been there at all, or stand his ground. When the office door opens, Michael tries to act like he’d just been walking down the hall.  _Absolutely not_  listening to their conversation. 

Barbara looks at him curiously. “Hi, Michael.” She says. 

“Oh, Barb? Hey.” Michael groans internally. ‘ _Why do I sound surprised to see her here? This is her fucking office_.’ “What’s up?”

“Just munchin’ and lunchin’.” Barbara replies. “See you later.”

“Yeah.” Michael nods, then he stops walking when he sees Gavin’s head poking out of Barbara’s office out of the corner of his eye. 

“Michael?” Gavin calls shyly. 

“What?” Michael turns on his heels to face him. His heart is beating sporadically in his chest. The eye contact they share is like a quiet conversation, but to Michael...it’s in an entirely different language. He doesn’t understand what Gavin is trying to say. He’s praying for Gavin to say something with  _actual_  words. 

“Were you...standing there long?” Gavin asks, but the tone is accusatory. Michael shrinks a bit at the darkened sound of Gavin’s voice. He probably shouldn’t lie right now. 

“Um, well…” Michael’s face goes rogue, despite his best efforts. “I...was coming to find you.”

“What?” Gavin’s tone lightens. “Me?”

“Yes you, idiot.” Michael’s dimpled smile flashes for only a second, disappearing quickly though, because he’s nervous. 

“W-why were you looking for me?” Gavin bites his lip, looking both ways down the empty hall. “Get in here.” 

“Huh?” Michael looks passed Gavin, into the empty office. “In  _there_?”

“That’s what I said, boi.” Gavin reaches forward, pulling his arm until Michael is standing beside him. He closes the door and sighs. “Damn it, Michael.”

“Damn it,  _me_?” Michael’s eyes squint as he focuses on Gavin. “You’re the one, running around the fucking office telling everyone  _but me_  that you like me and-”

“You  _know_!?” Gavin’s arms fly up. “Who told you? Why?  _What_?”

“Ryan did.” Michael folds his arms. “Not to mention you were just squawking about it with Barb.”

“I wasn’t... _squawking_.” Gavin blushes harder. “It’s rude to eavesdrop.”

“Again, you were all but fucking  _shouting_.” Michael keeps his arms folded. 

Gavin is silent for a moment, eyes kept to the floor. “So...we’re ruined, then?”

“What?” Michael knits his eyebrows. 

“You think it’s strange, don’t you?” Gavin raises his green eyes to Michael’s brown ones. 

“I think the way you’re going about tell me is strange.” Michael runs a hand over his curls, they spring back into place as he pulls his hand away. “Why didn’t you just...I dunno,  _flirt_  or something?”

“I did.” Gavin retorts. “You just didn’t notice.”

“Do we have to go over the ways you ‘flirted’ with me again, or…?” Michael chuckles. 

“My technique was  _fine_!” Gavin’s voice raises, this only makes Michael laugh harder. 

“I fucking hate you,” Michael says between high pitched giggles. “You’re stupid as hell.”

Gavin doesn’t take offense to Michael’s words, he knows the other man doesn’t mean it. 

“Michael, don’t be cruel.” Gavin pretends to sound hurt, but the joking is put aside quickly. “Wait…”

“What?”

“You asked  _why_  I didn’t flirt with you?” Gavin arches a brow. 

“Yeah...so what?”

“So you  _want_  me to?”

Michael sucks in a deep breath. “I mean…” Exhale. “Yeah.”

“Y-you…” Gavin looks away as he thinks, a smile slowly spreading on his face. 

“Don’t do the-” Michael is cut off by a high pitch gurgling noise. “The thing.” Michael finishes the sentence with a sigh as Gavin indeed ‘does the thing’.

“Michael!” Gavin bounces on his heels. “You like me!”

“I didn’t say that.” Michael says this, only to try and relieve himself of his embarrassment. 

“But you  _do_!” Gavin is still grinning. “Say it, say it!”

“You’re a child.” Michael folds his arms again, this time a bit protectively. 

“Oh, stop that.” Gavin reaches forward and unfolds Michael’s arms. “You’re acting like I’m going to  _tease_  you or something.”

“Well...you could.”

“ _Michael_ ,” Gavin’s voice softens, along with the expression on his face. “Why on  _earth_  would I-”

“You’re being serious?” Michael interrupts the Brit, his chocolate colored eyes narrowing. “You’re not just...trying to get a reaction out of me?”

“Michael, I wouldn’t-”

“You’re not just going to run and go giggle like a moron to all the others? Telling them I’m just a big dumb softy? Or that I’m gullible or-”

“Where the bleeding hell is all of this coming from, Michael?” Gavin frowns. “I’ve done stupid things to you before...but I’ve only been joking. I wouldn’t purposely hurt you. Not like that.”

Michael doesn’t say anything, and Gavin gets worried. 

“Have I ever given the effect that I’d do something  _like that_  to you, Michael?” Gavin’s voice is thick, like he’s speaking around a lump in his throat. This hurts Michael. 

“No, no...you haven’t.” Michael is avoiding Gavin’s eyes, even though the Brit is currently looking at the floor. “It’s not you…”

“Then, what’s wrong?” Gavin wishes they had somewhere more comfortable to talk. Not that the office wasn’t... _nice_. It’s just, not very homey feeling. He’d much rather be in the AH office. Sitting on the couch with Michael, or something like that. 

Michael doesn’t want to tell Gavin’s what’s wrong. He puts his arms back up, folded across his chest like a shield. 

“No, please.” Gavin’s voice shakes. “Don’t shut me out.”

Michael says nothing. 

“Michael…” Gavin tugs on Michael’s arms, but they don’t budge. The younger male can feel his eyes prickle with tears. “Please…”

The office door opens, Barbara reenters, stopping short when she sees them. Her eyes flicker between the two of them. 

“Oh...I’m sorry.” Barbara takes a step back, slowly retreating towards the door. “I’ll leave you two alone to-” She’s cut off by Michael brushing passed Gavin, exiting the office quickly. He’s left both Barbara and Gavin standing there. Barbara is really confused, and worried because she can see the wateriness of Gavin’s eyes. 

Gavin feels like his might throw up his lunch, his legs are shaking slightly. He doesn’t want Barbara to see him cry, but he also doesn’t want to be alone. 

“Do you need to talk?” Barbara’s voice is gentle, like if she spoke too firmly, she’d break him. Gavin shakes his head. “Would...you like a hug?” 

Gavin sniffles, nodding slowly. Barbara smiles apologetically and wraps the shaky Brit in her arms. 

“Did something...bad happen?” Barbara asks hesitantly. 

“N-no.” Gavin shakes his head, wrapping his arms around her in return. “He l-likes me.”

“Then...why all of the storming off and stuff?” Barbara pets his hair. “And why are you crying?”

“I don’t know what happened…” Gavin admits. “Everything was fine, but then something changed. His entire demeanor switched and he…” Gavin’s body trembles under Barbara’s hold. “And he shut me out.” 

Barbara feels her own eyes tearing up at the absolutely broken sound of Gavin’s voice. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. It wouldn’t do Gavin any good if both of them were crying. 

“Why do you think that is?” Barbara steps back to look Gavin in his eyes. They’re slightly reddened, still very much teary. 

“I don’t know.” Gavin shakes his head. “But...I think something bad happened.”

“To Michael?” Barbara’s head tilts a bit as she tries to understand. “What do you mean?”

“He was trying to protect himself.” Gavin sniffles, Barbara fetches him a tissue from the box on her desk. “Thanks.”

“Oh,” Barbara says once she gets it. “He’s been hurt before, you mean?”

“That’s what I’m gathering.” Gavin cleans his face up, taking a deep breath. 

“He trusts you though,” Barbara frowns. “Yet, he didn’t want to talk about it?”

Gavin shrugs. 

“Is it because I came in? Damn it, I should’ve stayed and talked to Arryn longer.” She rolls her eyes. “But  _no_ , I told her that I had to  _‘be productive’_ and get back to work.”

“It’s not you…” Gavin shakes his head. “He didn’t seem willing to tell me anyway.”

“Ah, I see.” Barbara sighs. “I’m sorry, Gav.”

“Me too.” Gavin tosses his tissue into the bin. “Thanks for letting me use your office for my damn soap opera.”

Barbara giggles at this, and she wants to make a pun (either about soap, or about operas) but she doesn’t. “Take care, Gav.” 

~*~

When Gavin gets back to the office, he sees that Michael’s chair is empty still. But, his coat is still here. So, he hasn’t left. Normally, everyone would’ve turned and gave Gavin some sort of greeting. But, this time, everyone stayed turned towards their screens. Maybe Michael came in with an outburst, and they all know that things didn’t go as planned. 

“Gavin...I’m sorry that I told Michael about your plan.” Ryan says without turning, he’s feeling too guilty to look him in the eyes. 

“Yeah,” Ray speaks up as well. “Sorry that I teased you guys about it earlier. It might’ve set him more on edge.”

Gavin doesn’t want to seem rude, but he honestly doesn’t care about their apologies. He doesn’t  _want_  them. Not because he’s angry with them. It’s just, all he wants is to talk to Michael. He’s worried about him. It’s apparent that he’s harboring some sort of pain, from who knows how long ago. And, if Michael’s hurting...the last thing Gavin wants is for him to be alone through it. 

“Where is he?” Gavin disregards the niceties, eyes scanning the room for someone with an answer. “No one?”

“He…” Jack clears his throat. “Told us that if you asked, to tell you ‘not to worry’ and-”

“Jack, not  _now_.” Gavin growls. “Where  _is_  he?” 

“In his...car.” Jack caves in, Geoff turns to frown at him. 

“We said we weren’t getting involved!” Geoff scolds the bearded man. 

“Did you  _hear_  Gavin’s voice?” Jack retorts. 

Again, Gavin disregards them. This time, in favor of running to the parking lot to find Michael.

~*~

Gavin makes his way quickly to the parking lot. In the hurry to get to Michael, and with all of the thoughts swirling in his head, he forgets what Michael’s car looks like. 

“Oh, for god’s sake.” Gavin grumbles to himself, eyes flickering over every vehicle. “It’s...gold? No...white.” Gavin looks around, but none of the cars strike him as Michael’s. Also, he doesn’t see Michael in any of them. “No...it’s not white, that’s  _Jack’s_  car.” He holds a hand to his jaw as he thinks. “Maybe it’s-”

“My car is  _silver_ , you idiot. Or,  _grey_  maybe.” Michael’s is heard from behind the Brit. “You’ve been in it only ten thousand time, no biggie.” The older’s voice is lighthearted, surprisingly. 

“Michael!” Gavin turns to face him. “You’re ok!”

“Well...yeah.” Michael’s brow furrows. “What’d you think? I was gonna go drive myself into the river or something?”

“This isn’t a  _joke_.” Gavin scowls. “You...you hurt me.”

“I hurt  _you_?” Michael rolls his eyes, Gavin takes major offense to this. 

“Yes!” Gavin shouts. “Don’t bloody roll your eyes like I’m overreacting.”

“Well, you are.” Michael’s tone is completely insensitive. Gavin is prepared to tell him off, but he stops short and blinks a few times. 

“Oh, I get it.” Gavin smirks ruefully. “This is apart of your  _shield_ , right?”

“What?”

“You wanted to bottle it up, and pretend it never damn happened.” Gavin says. “But I wouldn’t play along, so now you want to push me away. Is that what this is?”

Michael’s eyes narrow. 

“So, that’s it then?” Gavin raises a brow.

“So what if it is?”

“Earlier, you asked me if I was going to run and tell the guys that you were a big softy? Well guess what? I’m not.” Gavin spits. “I’m going to run and tell them that Michael Jones is a big fucking  _coward_!”

Michael is shocked when Gavin uses the ‘f word’ as it’s not a huge part of his vocabulary. The fact that Gavin’s used it, strung along with an insult, Michael feels fire set to his blood. He grits his teeth. 

“You fucking watch it, Gavin.” Michael warns. 

“What are you gonna do? Coward me to death?”

Michael’s hands clench into fists at his side. He wasn’t going to hit Gavin. Michael would  _never_  hit Gavin. But, hell if he wasn’t tempted right now. 

“Hurting me, emotionally or physically, Michael…” Gavin begins. “It will  _never_  take that pain away from you.” He shakes his head. “Never.”

Michael only continues to glare at Gavin, his hands loosen their fists slightly. 

“What the hell  _happened_  to you, Michael?” Gavin asks. “Why are you acting like this? Why are you so scared?”

The auburn haired male finally looks away from Gavin. His lower lips quivers subtly, but Gavin notices. 

“Come here.” Gavin extends a hand, waiting for Michael to take it. “Please?”

Michael shakes his head, curls bobbing a bit as he does. 

“Michael, I’m not going to hurt you.” Gavin chuckles. “Just come here, damn it.”

“It won’t change anything.” Michael folds his arms, putting his shield back up. “Telling you won’t change anything.”

“Change what, though?”

“What...what happened.”

“What  _did_  happen, Michael?” Gavin’s almost afraid to ask, if it’s as bad as Michael is making it seem. “If it can’t change anything, that’s too bad...but let me at least share the pain with you. I’ll be a good sponge.”

“That’d be selfish.” Michael shakes his head. 

“No,” It’s Gavin’s turn to shake his head. “Keeping the pain inside you, and shutting me out... _that_  would be selfish. That’d hurt me more than anything you’re holding in would.”

Gavin’s words sit heavily on Michael’s chest, and Michael can barely handle it. He feels like he might cry, might shout at Gavin. He feels like he might lose control of one or many of his emotions. And, he doesn’t want Gavin in the crossfire of that. 

“Drop. It.” Michael’s tone sounds like he’s warning Gavin again. 

“No.” Gavin takes a step forward, Michael stumbles back. “I’m not going to hurt y-”

“Stop.” Michael holds his hands out in front of him. 

“Michael,  _bloody_  hell.” Gavin frowns. “What do you think I’m going to do to you?”

Michael’s breathing hard, like he’d ran a mile. He  _wishes_  he could run away now. But he’s frozen, like a deer in headlights. He’s terrified that Gavin would come closer, step into his bubble. Like the truth is a physical thing surrounding him, and if Gavin gets too close, he’d get hurt as well. 

“Michael, I’m  _begging_  you.” Gavin says. “I’ve  _been_  begging you.”

“I know.” Michael speaks, finally lowering his hands from in front of himself. 

“So...can we stop this?” Gavin doesn’t want to give up, but he isn’t sure where to go from here. Michael’s put up barriers at nearly every angle. Gavin feels like he can’t get to him. 

“If you just drop it...it’d be so much easier.”

“And then what?” Gavin asks, Michael’s lips part at the question. “Then you can go on pretending things are fine? Being alone?”

“I don’t  _mind_  being alone.” Michael shakes his head. “I have been doing fine on my own.”

“But what about  _me_?”

“I don’t owe you shit.” Michael’s words burn Gavin like flames, and Gavin visibly jerks away like he’d touched something hot. “Damn it, Gavin...I’m sorry.”

“I am  _not_  doing this.” Gavin takes a step back, letting there be further space between the two of them. “This isn’t what I wanted.”

Michael is silent. 

“When you are ready to talk to me, find me.” Gavin begins walking away. “Until then, I’m not going chase you the hell around while you try to scare me off, which isn’t going to work anyway.” He continues to approach the building. 

Gavin is nearly to the side entrance when he feels arms around his waist. He startles at the sudden hold he finds himself in. 

“What the-” Gavin is cut off by the arms holding him tighter. They’re Michael’s of course, but Gavin doesn’t understand what’s happening. “Michael…”

Gavin is met with hard sobs, muffled against his spine, where Michael’s pressed his face. The Brit’s never really heard Michael cry. In fact, he’s never heard  _anyone_  cry, not like this. It’s similar to that of cries Gavin has heard at funerals. The broken kind that indicate someone is mourning. 

The younger male isn’t sure what to do. Michael’s holding him from behind, so he can’t rub comforting circles on his back. He can’t pet his curls or wipe his tears. So, he just overlaps Michael’s strong arms with his own slender ones. 

“It’s ok.” Gavin says softly, Michael holds him tighter in response. “Can I turn around to face you?” 

Michael shakes his head. Gavin chuckles at this.

“Alright, then.” Gavin sighs contently. Being in Michael’s arms, even for a situation like this, it feels safe here. Michael is warm, almost feverish. And, he’s holding onto Gavin like he’s an anchor. Like if he’d let go, he’d drift off to some unreachable place. 

When Michael’s sobs die down, his hold on Gavin loosens enough that the Brit can turn around, still in his arms. Michael presses his face into Gavin’s body again.

“No, no.” Gavin pats his head. “None of that, let me see your face.”

Michael doesn’t want to, but he complies. His cheeks are rosy, eyes wet. He’s sniffling and he looks so much like a child, Gavin wants to coo. But, it’s not the time and Michael would probably think Gavin was making fun of him. 

“My, what a lovely face you’ve got.” Is all Gavin says. 

The curly haired man sputters a noise that’s between a sob and a laugh, reaching up to wipe his eyes. But, Gavin softly bats his hand away. 

“No,  _me_.” Gavin takes both thumbs, wiping them over Michael’s cheekbones, and the space under his eyes. “Do you feel better now?”

Michael nods, remaining mostly silent. The only noises he makes, are those soft hiccuping breaths one only does after crying  _hard_. 

“Good, that’s all I want.” Gavin smiles at him, Michael doesn’t smile back. But, he does speak. 

“I like you.” Michael says softly, followed by a shuddery intake of breath. 

Gavin freezes completely, but only for a moment. He hadn’t expecting the first thing that Michael says after all of this to be, well... _that_. His shocked expression morphs into another small smile. 

“Well, I know that.” Gavin replies, Michael frowns. It’s not an angry frown, but a ‘you are supposed to say something sweet back, stupid’ frown. Gavin giggles. “I mean, I like you, too.”

“ _Well, I know that_.” Michael mocks, in what is supposed to be Gavin’s accent.

“Shut up.” Gavin pushes a hand against Michael’s shoulder playfully, they both laugh breathily. 

“I’m really sorry, Gavin.” Michael’s words are slow, clear. He’s really trying to make it known that he means it. “I really am.”

“Michael…” Gavin sighs. “I know you are, I knew that the moment you first folded your arms at me in Barbara’s office.”

The older male is silent for a moment. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine.” Michael shakes his head. “Not with me.”

“Well…” Gavin isn’t sure what to say. “Alright, then.” 

“Yeah…” Michael has another shaky breath. “Do you...maybe wanna…”

“Date?”

“I was going to say something like ‘get back to work’ but, that’s also doable.”

“Really, though?  _Go back to work_?” Gavin raises his eyebrows. 

“No, you asshole.” Michael laughs. “I  _was_  going to ask you out, but you beat me to it.”

“Oh...well, that’s a relief.” Gavin grins. “I didn’t think you were  _that much_  of a dope.”

“So, that’s a ‘yes’ then?” Michael asks. 

Gavin’s smile fades. “Michael…”

The older frowns as Gavin’s sudden serious tone. “What’s wrong?”

“I’d  _love_  to go out with you, obviously.” Gavin says. “But...are you really not going to tell me what’s wrong?”

“Oh…” Michael looks over his shoulder, like he’s suddenly paranoid. “Do you trust me?”

“Huh?”

“Do. You. Trust. Me?” Michael eyes Gavin harshly, his eyes burning into Gavin’s. 

“Well, y-yes...but-”

“Then wait...for me.” Michael holds his bottom lip between his teeth briefly. “Just for a little while.”

“Wait for you…?” Gavin frowns. “What does that mean?”

“It means...I’ll tell you when I’m ready, but I honestly  _can’t_  right now.” Michael sighs. “And, I hope you can respect that.”

Gavin’s eyes search Michael’s for a second, but he doesn’t respond. Michael feels like Gavin might say ‘no’. Like Gavin will think that Michael is already far too complicated to have an interest in. Michael is fairly certain, that when Gavin formulated his place to ask him out, Gavin wasn’t expecting  _all of this_. 

But, the Brit had the ability to assimilate to the unexpected, and keep going. He wasn’t ready to give up on Michael. Especially not when he clearly needed him most. 

Gavin had no idea what the road ahead of them would be like. He didn’t know what ghosts were haunting Michael, or how he’d gotten hurt in the past. And, those things didn’t matter. Not at all. 

Because Michael was his best friend, and he was standing in front of Gavin with his wounds exposed. And, all Gavin wanted to do was to make them better. 

There was a small gap of space between them. A foot? Less than a foot, maybe. It wasn’t important, because the small space was quickly closed by Gavin. He wore a smile as he brought a hand up to Michael’s jaw. And, with that hand, he tilted Michael’s face up to his own. 

Even though Michael could clearly tell what was coming next, he wasn’t ready. He wasn’t ready for Gavin in many ways. Not for the strongly bonded friendship, not for whatever was happening right now. Gavin Free was a storm he’d gotten caught in, a storm he never saw coming.

He was struck, by the way the hand on his jaw, moved slowly into his curls.  And, even the subtle laugh Gavin gave as he brought their lips together. But, as their lips met...his eyes closed and all he could sense anymore, were the gentle places where their bodies met. 

Gavin's lips were soft, like he knew Michael was fragile. And, any other time, Michael would’ve been annoyed to be treated like something,  _someone_  so breakable. But, right now...he needed it. He needed it like he needed air, and he tried so desperately to breathe Gavin in.

For the first time in a long time, Michael had exposed himself to someone. It’d been so long since...it happened. But, after all of today’s events, it only felt like yesterday. 

Though, as Michael kissed Gavin back, Michael knew that things were going to get better. Gavin was going to give Michael the time, the time to work up the courage to tell Gavin all that had happened. And when he did, Gavin was going to be there to make everything ok. That’s what Gavin did, what he was good at. Taking care of his Michael. 

** Things would get better. **


End file.
